Show WRITES LETTER FROM FRANCE on active service with the american expeditionary force Some somewhere were in france 4 IS DEAR MOTHER before now youve probably received a card telling you that I 1 arrived safely over sea it remains to be said that tile the journey was very interesting interest ms though very long and that im in III france lovely france I 1 had never dreamed it would be so picturesque so wonderfully onder fully beautiful of course I 1 have not seen it all but certainly the quiet dignity the forceful beauty and the all prevailing seriousness of tile hie country side cannot but teach us to love lave it passionately and hence to hate its enemies our life for the last few weeks has been croiN crowded ded with new sensations new inspirations and so of course tile the time flies rapidly I 1 have had several good chances to interpret for my friends and am consequently very eager to renew my study of french I 1 take much for what hat I 1 already know but I 1 read the french papers and maybe ill learn to for speak fluently before I 1 come home really the man at the piano im in a Y al M C A hut must know im writing home for lies hes playing oh johnny poor butterfly and our other song whose name I 1 cannot recall but which the girls played often while 1 I was at home last time on the door of the barracks im in now I 1 saw today my own name joseph pond written over another mans address so there thera must be three of us tor for I 1 think it was not uncle who has been here my health Is good I 1 was not even seasick sea sick when we came over but no use denying it it is rather too cold these last few ew days tor for tile comfort ol of we who i ho came from florida france has beautiful horses and still uses them even the peasants have large ones when you write to me be sure to spell out american in the address so as to distinguish it from australian eap exp forces you have of course read that ou cannot send parcels to soldiers in france unless requested by the soldier so tell teresa she is sate safe now and has a good excuse for not sending the long promised cake fondest regards to dad and the sisters bisters your loving son JOD al POND |